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Episodes

Softly spoken and absolutely committed to the truth, Chris Gethard took Edinburgh by storm with a searingly honest and blackly funny show about depression and attempted suicide. We talk about creativity and catharsis, his superb blogs, and whether or not performing is therapy…

See Gethard live www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/chris-gethard-career-suicide-2017

Catch up with extra material from this conversation at www.comedianscomedian.com/extras

One of comedy’s happiest and most humble men, Andy Askins reduces audiences to tears with his beautifully subtle and innocent-seeming punchlines. We discover the extraordinary backstory to his career, and find out about the decisions behind his whispered powerhouse performance.

Carmen Lynch combines deft writing, rhythm and performative poise, to deadly effect. We talk about stopping and re-starting comedy, and how it feels to escape from the day-job a second time. We also explore the beauty in simplicity, how to beat shyness with performance, and her recent spots on Letterman and Conan.

A lot has changed since Old Tone’s last appearance on the podcast. He’s clean, sober and re-launching, but no less of a uniquely hilarious act.

We talk about how he’s trying to extract value from everything in his life, and look back on how, like Obelix, he fell into the potion…

This episode is sponsored by www.nextupcomedy.com where you can watch the Tony Law Collection as well as bundles of other diverse comedy you can’t find anywhere else! (The episode also conceals a code for a third off subscription for 3 months.)

Jonny Donahoe and Paddy Gervers are political musical comics with real jokes, real music and real politics. Regulars on R4’s The Now Show, and creators of iTunes chart-topping “The Farage Song”, they discuss the creative dynamic behind their work, and profess a disgusting amount of love and respect for one another.

Legendary comic Barry Crimmins kickstarted Boston’s comedy scene in the 1980s, testified to the Senate against AOL.com profiteering from child pornography, and is to this day both a political firebrand and an intensely kind man.

We talk about his new special “Whatever Threatens You”, released this week by Louis CK; political comedy and being your own trusted source; and Barry also acknowledges the personal cost of a life of activism.

See Stu on tour next Spring - www.comedianscomedian.com/tour

Support the podcast - www.comedianscomedian.com/donate

Purchase Barry’s new special -
https://louisck.net/purchase/barry-crimmins-whatever-threatens-you

Sweaty, bearded turbo-clown Paul Currie’s shows are stuffed with unforgettable images, feelings and smells. Beloved of comedy’s intelligentsia, this award-winning performer doesn’t let go of your heart until the last cornflake is eaten and the last tear shed.

We discuss the cultural ecology of his native Northern Ireland; the difficulties of working in isolation; and we also talk about how the apparent vogue for clowning affects a veteran performer.

A small-town girl who realised pretty late she was a giant lesbian, Cameron Esposito has evolved into a hilarious alpha-female hero comic. We talk about body-shaming, power-stances and side-mullets, and why this next decade is going to be awesome for women…Support the podcast with a recurring donation at http://www.comedianscomedian.com/donate

Erudite stand-up, amazingly elastic improviser, and Goldsmith facial-resembler, John Robins is hitting his stride. We talk about the difficulties of changing gear mid-career, treating writing shows like writing essays, and being driven by shame.

Multiple Tony and Olivier Award-winner, and Emmy-nominee Tim Minchin went from gigging keyboardist, to Royal Albert Hall smash hit, to Dreamworks director. We explore the dynamic between Tim’s easy-going exterior and his internal driving force, learn his true feelings towards his own voice, and find out how he feels about death…

Support the podcast with a recurring donation at www.comedianscomedian.com/donate

Why is Emmy-nominated South-African satirist and comedian Loyiso is treated like a rock-star by his nation’s politicians? We explore the ability of SA comics to be outsiders to both UK and US culture, talk about his forthcoming Vimeo special, and learn why some comic ideas in the Xhosa language are untranslatable… Support the podcast at www.comedianscomedian.com/donate

Is Lewis Black the angriest man in America? We discuss Lewis’ origins in theatre, his turnover of topical material, particularly in an election cycle, and the trigger points from which he derives his explosive creativity. We also find out why silence is where you hear the joke…

A provocative and genuine comic, Tiff pulls apart her subject matter like a terrier, mining huge laughs from political, topical and personal subjects. We talk about agency, process and sexism, and explore the creative opportunities afforded by her stewardship of London’s “Old Rope” new material night.

At the top of his game, stand-up Bill Burr is conquering the planet with an extraordinary creative ferocity. He delights in unsettling audiences by saying the un-sayable, before justifying his comic position with inspiring verve. We learn the tricks he uses to break out of routine onstage, explode the myth of finding one’s voice, and also have a really invigorating argument about privilege…

There’s dry, and then there’s Todd Barry. On his “Crowdwork” tour, Todd’s skill in low-energy one-liners allows him to spin unexpected angles into truly original audience interaction. We discuss writing habits, beating ideas to death onstage, and how it feels to play two different fictionalised versions of himself simultaneously…

Wendy Wason gigs hard and acts in movies - but still juggles her comedy career with raising three children. We discuss her solid work ethic and achieving the “discipline of happiness”, and find out how she became the most hated woman on a movie set. We also talk about turning your audience on, fetishising honesty, and there’s also some slightly weird stuff about crystals…

Contribute to the podcast atwww.comedianscomedian.com/donate
Download Stu’s latest comedy album at www.comedianscomedian.com/shop

Superbly funny and very skilled Jinkx Monsoon won RuPaul’s Drag Race IV, and with long-term collaborator Major Scales is continuing to weave that very public success into an established comedy career. We discuss maintaining individuality within the confines of reality TV, the shared territory between a drag persona and a comic voice, and how transformation affects the true self. We also cover accusations of transphobia, the assumptions made of drag performers’ gender identity, and Jinkxy’s “bitterness towards stupid people”…

Brilliant British-Nigerian comic Funmbi shares a fascinating take on his transition from the urban circuit to the mainstream, and his reasoning behind the move. We also explore the dynamic between hype, substance and longevity, and get schooled on the inner mechanisms of the cussing battles which he mastered as a child…

As you might expect from the impish British-Iranian comic who wears her heart on her sleeve, this conversation gets pretty deep pretty fast! We talk about shifting status, manufacturing common ground with your crowd and the nature of addiction. We also discover Shappi’s recent enthusiasm for “giving love” to an audience, and what it’s like when the comedy circuit starts to resemble the playground…

Star of “Good News” and “Stand-up Central” as well as a former “Mock the Week” team captain, Russell Howard is also one of the UK’s most electrifying live performers. In this unusually candid interview, he exposes the unique pressures of fronting your own TV show, uncovers whether his success has made him happy, and we find out what you say to yourself after walking offstage at Wembley Arena…